SC notice on plea over women's security

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday issued notice to the central government, all states and union territories and the National Commission for Women on a plea seeking measures for the "comprehensive security" for women.

The petition filed by Mukul Kumar also sought the implementation of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) adopted by the UN in 1979.

The apex court bench of Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi while issuing the notice also asked Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati to assist the court in the matter.

Recounting several incidents of ill-treatment and violence against women all over the country, the petition said that the "plight of women in the country exposes the shortcomings that have beset the laws in India".

The recent instances of violence against women, including the abandoning of the new-born girls, highlighted the issue which needed "urgent preventive measures."

The plea also sought directions to the central and state governments to strengthen measures against female foeticide.

Seeking all-women police stations in all the States, the petition said that it would facilitate reporting of crime against women.

The court Thursday would hear another petition seeking the fast-tracking of the trial of all cases of sexual abuse of the women and compilation of a national register of convicted sex offenders and other heinous crimes.

As counsel Pareena Swarup mentioned the petition, by former Indian Administrative Service officer Promila Shanker, before a apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, the court said that the matter will be heard Thursday.

The petition drew the court's attention to a report that said that one woman was raped every 40 minutes in some part of the country.

Referring to the recent ghastly gang-rape incidents, the petition said more then 61 women and children were missing in Delhi and 9,000 girls were reported to be victim of human trafficking and sex trade in Chhattisgarh.

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